Jagged Pieces
by LosTruth
Summary: The past and present will always be bound together. To Amu, who wants to live in the present but is constantly bound by her past, normal was everything she wanted. Until she met them...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Since the readers of my other Shugo Chara fic have mostly voted for another shugo chara fic, their wish is (temporarily ;D) my command. Anyway, this was supposed to be just a slight teaser for the story, a somewhat but not really PROLOGUE-esque sort of chapter but once again I have made it into real chapter. Enjoy! ^.^

**Title:** Jagged Pieces

**Description:** Again, this story features all the characters but focuses on Amuto. I'm a little full with the historical stuff of my other fic so I'm going all out teenage angst and modern day adolescents. So yeah, I cut up all the age gaps and made most of them only a year or two apart. I'm not following the real age spacing so they could end up in a single school at the same year.

**Summary:** After the hell she went through a year and as half ago, the only thing Hinamori Amu wants now is to be a normal high school girl. She wanted nothing to do with the outcasts of school who she attended therapy with. Little did she know that the people she would meet there were similar to her in more ways than she could ever deem possible.

**Disclaimer:** Sorry, I could keep trying to blackmail PeachPit but it would happen in a million years even if my possible reincarnation continued on my practice so NO I don't own Shugo Chara. :)

Enjoy! :D

**-OoO-**

**Chapter 1 **Home Sweet Home

Amu stared at the unfamiliar ceiling of her old room and tried to remember the last time she had been in here. She was 15 then – and she had been determined to leave this place.

What exactly had she left behind, or a better question yet, what exactly had she returned to, a year and a half later?

Ami had grown – she knew that much, but she couldn't quite place the little blonde girl who used to cling to her leg when she was frightened in that older girl that glared at her hatefully the moment she had passed the threshold of her old home.

Amu had been surprised by Ami's manner of greeting her after such a long time but she decided not to broach the subject. Ami seem disinclined to talk to her throughout dinner while her parents fussed over her nonstop.

She was thankful that Ami had finally gotten out of the hospital at least. The last time she had seen her younger sister she had been stuck with countless tubes and surrounded by various beeping machines. Whenever she had gone to the hospital then, she had only come out more dejected and miserable than before. Now Ami was standing and living a normal life – she was glad she had achieved something good from the atrocities she had done.

This was the sister she had sacrificed so much for – but why was it that she felt no sense of victory? It was only gratitude to whoever it was that saved her from the white prison.

She turned onto her side and inhaled the scent of the new mattress she lied on. Her eyes scanned the dim room and realized than everything was new. From her closet, to her bed, to her study desk – everything was brand new. There was no hint of the old room she used to inhabit – it was as if they had erased her previous existence in this house

Like she had died and a new person had come home to this room. Not their daughter Hinamori Amu – but the stranger who had just returned from rehab. Amu felt like a foster child under this roof and she didn't like it one bit.

She stretched herself fully and found that her feet did not even touch the edge of the bed. Her bed before had been much smaller and she assumed that they thought she couldn't have been expected to sleep in a cramped bed. Amu wouldn't have minded anyway, seeing as how the hard floor of her room was more comfortable to sleep in after the lonely night in the Asylum; it wouldn't have bothered her very much if the bed a bit restricted.

She wasn't tired, nor was she sleepy so she sat up quietly and climbed out of bed. Amu ambled towards the little balcony of her room and stared out into the streets that had once been her home – and in truth, a small part of her still felt that it was.

The long nights she had been part of so long ago were still vivid memories in her mind. Watching the stars glimmer all night freely but hiding in the shadows come sunrise – she wished she could still do it one more time. But that was impossible. This wasn't the same place and the only person she considered her friend back then wasn't by her side anymore.

Without really thinking, she climbed atop the metal railings with ease and jumped down to the top of the concrete fence around their house as lithe and graceful as a cat. She jumped off the wall and landed on the balls of her feet. She kept silent for a minute and watched her surroundings.

Yes, it was this feeling, she thought to herself, the feeling of being the only person in the world.

The feeling clung to her and she felt more relaxed, more familiar with the environment. She didn't like it inside that suffocating room. It felt too small for her, too cramped for her to be reassured that it wasn't another cell in the Asylum.

It was when she glanced down that she realized her lack of footwear. Amu just shrugged and continued on; she had survived long enough without shoes, what could one more night without them do to her? But then again, most of those times, she had only walked on smooth marble.

The rough and weathered road felt strange and alien to the delicate soles of her feet but Amu still walked forward, making as little noise as possible. She had already mastered the art of stealth since long ago.

She was glad that she still wore the clothes the Asylum had given her as a last gift. The sweater protected her from the night chill she had not felt against her skin in such a long time. She continued on aimlessly, going nowhere in particular. There were places she passed that seemed familiar to her but most of it she could not remember very well.

She could not even remember what it had been like when she had walked through these streets as an innocent little child. She walked pass streetlight after streetlight, thinking of how she always used to pass through these streets.

There was a faint memory of a rainy day gnawing at the back of her mind. She remembered running down these streets as a child, humming and making big splashes as she made her way to a nearby bakery. There was something missing in that fragment of her past though, Amu could not quite place it. Something came after she reached the bakery – but she couldn't remember.

While she was busy with her thoughts, she had missed the shadows of approaching figures from her right side in the dark alley. She had brushed it off as a mere coincidence – but when she recognized the emblem on the bandana's wrapped around their forehands, even in the faint light, she knew they had come for her.

She was older now, and wiser for that matter. She knew the hidden secrets of the streets. What they kept and what they housed – she had already experienced all of it, so she was not particularly scared when she had purposely entered the empty alley and hooded figures had surrounded her. It was something that she had expected the moment she had been released from the Asylum.

She didn't want anybody to see the commotion, so she chose to go to them instead of it being the other way around. She wasn't frightened, nor was she nervous as she replayed the most likely scenario in her mind.

This was her retribution after all and she was ready to accept it. She had no intention of running.

She noted the steel bats clasped in each of their gloved hands. She stared up at the starless sky and for a moment; she savoured the sweet silence and monotonous song of the crickets. It was then broken by one of the hooded figures; Amu assumed that he was the leader of their little gang.

"Hinamori Amu, we will make you regret betraying us. What you experienced before was only a prelude to the hell you're going to go through tonight." It was a male voice and it was laced with undisguised animosity towards her.

Amu laughed inwardly at his choice of words. _Hell_, he says, not knowing that she had already gone through it more than once. This time wouldn't be any different from all the other times. There would be pain. Lots of it. But even so, she would wake up and continue on with her life anyway so she felt no fear. After this nightmare, she would wake and go on as usual.

She unconsciously touched her blind right eye and sighed. The darkness in her vision was always proof that she had somehow survived that Hell. She wondered briefly what inerasable scar she would bear after this.

One of the figures lunged at her without preamble and slammed a knee against her abdomen. The wind was knocked out of her and dropped to her knees. In the next second she felt a steel bat smash down on her shoulder. She bit her lip as she struggled against the fresh pain. Next came a kick to her right side and she took a deep intake of breath. Someone began pulling her hair and another trampled on her left arm. Amu had heard the distinctive sound of her wrist breaking and almost fainted from the pain.

"Don't hurt her face. I have something special ready for that," the leader said above the flurry of attacks they launched at her.

Amu bit the inside of her cheek so hard that she tasted the familiar metallic taste of blood. She closed her eyes and blocked out everything for a moment as she prayed to whichever kami was watching her. She prayed for the pain to lessen; she wanted to ease the pain – but not end it. She just needed strength to endure this. She had to live through it somehow… but if the gods decided she should die tonight, she would willingly accept it.

After a few moments, she felt nothing and it was a little late that she realized that the barrage of attacks had ceased. She opened her eyes and the throbbing pain of her whole body threatened to overwhelm her once more.

When she next opened her eyes, she saw the faintest star in the vast night sky. A few moments ago, she had only seen darkness in the sky above – but now she was able to find the smallest star in the distance. She didn't think it possible.

A star.

After such a long time of not seeing the sky, she found a star again. To Amu, it was the closest thing to a shooting star so she made a wish.

"I want to be forgiven." She whispered sincerely, despite the gushing pain from her arm.

"For what?" A deep male voice asked out of the blue. A tall figure loomed above her, blocking out her wishing star. She traced the silhouette of a violin case strapped slung over the stranger's shoulder but she couldn't make out his face. The uncharacteristic scent of female perfume wafted down from the stranger and it sidetracked her for a moment.

Amu forced herself to sit up and she felt needles of pain stab her everywhere. Her breaths came as hisses through her gritted teeth. The pain was almost unbearable – almost. But she would endure it. She would not allow herself to lose to it. Not after she had lived through it so many other times.

"Careful. I think you broke a few things," he warned her as he helped her up on her shaky legs. She almost fell down again with the wave of nausea and dizziness that hit her but thankfully, the stranger kept her upright.

When the wave has passed, only the painful throbbing of her wrist made her eyes water from the pain. "Where are they?" she forced herself to speak the question and stopped the urge to vomit that struck her as she spoke. The strangers scent was beginning to irritate her nose but she did her best to hide it, or it was more like she had more pressing matters on hand compared to a sensitive nose.

She tried to shake of the uncanny ringing in her ears and focused on hearing his reply. "Lying comfortably on the cold road. Hopefully some drunk driver will run over them." He answered promptly. Amu still couldn't see his face very well because of the pain slamming like waves against her every minute that passed but she still understood very clearly what he was saying.

She grabbed onto his sleeve tightly and gritted her teeth as another wave passed. "Don't leave them there, please. At least prop them against the wall or leave them on the sidewalk where they won't be harmed." Amu pleaded with him in a strained voice.

"Do I need to remind you what they just did to you?" The incredulity was evident in his voice, "You can barely stand upright and you want to keep them from _harm_?" She felt his arm stiffen under the sleeve she was grasping. She could hear the note of outrage in his calm voice.

"I can't… just leave them like that. What if something worse happens to them?" she replied with an effort. She was still struggling against the pain and she could barely hear him past the screams of her injured body.

She could not – and she would not hate anyone. She had sworn it with her blood. How could she make this stranger understand?

She couldn't – it was a simple as that.

Instead of waiting for his reply to her statement, she took careful and agonizing steps towards her attackers' unconscious bodies. After a few difficult steps, a firm hand gripped her forehand, making fresh pain shoot through her arm. Though she did not cry out, she felt the pain vividly enough to find herself biting her lip pretty hard.

She heard the stranger sigh and felt him release his grip on her arm.

"I don't know if you were hit on the head before I arrived, or whether you just conveniently forgot everything that happed a few moments ago, or even if you're just plain crazy – but if you're determined to help them, let me do it for you. God knows how you'll be able to move them in the current shape you're in."

Without another word, he strode towards them. He dragged all of them by the collar and dropped them carelessly on the sidewalk. All the while, Amu leaned against the cool brick wall tiredly and assessed the extent of her wounds. She had bruised ribs and shoulders, a broken wrist, a few new bruises, a few cuts and scrapes – well, it could have been much worse if this stranger had not helped her.

When he was finished, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hands as he approached her. "Where does it hurt?" he asked shortly. Amu could sense his irritation and she knew that she had somehow caused it.

"I'm fine," she lied automatically and waved away his helping hand as she pulled herself together, standing firmly on her two legs. "Thank you." She added steadily, giving a small nod in his direction. She balled her fists and kept the pain from creeping into her voice.

"You're lying," he replied matter-of-factly, "It must be hurting like hell. You don't get ganged up on like that and end up _fine_." He added in a tone of obvious disbelief. She saw his head turn back to the direction of the small human pile on the sidewalk. "Are they friends of yours?" he questioned and Amu heard the hint of sarcasm when he had uttered the word _friends_.

"Acquaintances." She corrected him.

"And they did this to you because –?" his voice trailed off, she couldn't see his face in this light but she could tell he wanted some details. She hoped he couldn't see his face either – she wouldn't want him to get pulled into her affairs a second time.

"Because I deserved it. Anyway, thanks again for helping me. I have to get going now else I'd be in big trouble," Amu said as tried to guess what time it was. She had absolutely no idea, after living in an enclosed space for so long, it had become a habit not to bother with the time. It was still night, that much she could tell.

Apparently guessing her thoughts, the stranger's next words spared her the trouble, "It's almost one in the morning." She wondered how he knew when wasn't even wearing a watch. "Anyway, shouldn't you go to a hospital first?" he asked meaningfully and she was very much tempted to reply that she had more than her fair share of being in a hospital. But that was snappy, so she held her tongue.

"I'll survive," she said offhandedly. The worst that could happen was coming home in bandages to the worried and disappointed faces of her parents. She wouldn't bring them anymore grief. If there was pain, she was just going to have to deal with it on her own. She was baffled of course, as to how she was going to conceal of all the wounds she had amassed this evening.

She saw the stranger's broad shoulders shrug carelessly, "Suit yourself," there it was again, that hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I suppose you're going to reject whatever help I'm going to offer you now, aren't you?" he asked pointedly and Amu nibbled her lip.

"Well, yes." She admitted. "I've already troubled you more than necessary. It wouldn't be fair to inconvenience you any more than I already have." She didn't understand why but she felt a need to appease his annoyance with her. She just didn't like knowing that someone had a problem with her.

"Then I'll be going ahead," he said curtly and turned away from her. Before he could get any farther she called out to him.

"Wait!"

She saw his silhouette pause and turn back to look at her. She fumbled inside her clothes and found what she was looking for. When she pulled it over her head, she said, "Take this," she held out her hand and she heard him come closer.

She made out the outline of his slender hand and she dropped the tag onto his palm. "What's this?" he asked as he ran his fingers over it.

It was actually the tag she had worn the whole time she had lived in the Asylum – the old tag that kept her identity and sanity when she had lived in that hell. There were times back then that she would seem to forget who she was, but when she read that name tag, it helped her calm down. She wasn't sure she should have parted with it but she wasn't living in the Asylum anymore. She was back in the real world and she couldn't depend on such a thing anymore.

So instead of throwing it away or keeping it, she would let it be something of better use.

"My payment. I'm sorry, it's all I have."

"You didn't answer my question." He pointed out, turning over her treasure a few times as he tried to figure out the answer.

"Sorry, it's a name tag. As long as you have that you can find me again and I'll be ready to do one favor for you in return for helping me tonight. That's all I can pay you. But after I repay you, you have to promise never to get involved with me again." She explained hastily, trying not to trip on her words. She didn't like owing debts but this was all she could do for this stranger.

"I didn't help you hoping to be repaid for my services," he said and Amu knew that he thought she didn't need to compensate him.

"Yes, but I don't like owing debts. I'll be going then." Without another word, she hobbled past him and moved back to the street she had come from.

"I won't promise," he said audibly and Amu paused under the light of one of the streetlights. "But I will come to claim." He added and when Amu turned to protest, she found no trace of him in the alley.

She did not look back until she was sure he was a fair distance away from where she stood. When she paused to catch her breath, she stared at the sky, clutching her broken wrist, and searched for her wishing star. She scanned the sky more than twice but she was only left disappointed – it was nowhere in sight. She wondered briefly if it had just been a figment of her imagination when the pain in her hand broke through her thoughts, it completely slipped her mind.

The walk back home was complete agony. Amu walked for half a kilometer with her bruised and battered body. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she realized how much more excruciating it was to climb up their fence and onto her balcony with a broken wrist and beat-up body.

When she had finally dropped back into the warm embrace of her bed and closed her eyes, it seemed only a second later that loud noisy knocks came on her door.

"Amu, wake up or you'll be late!" Ami's irritated voice seeped into the room through the gap under the door. Amu sat up abruptly and almost yelped at the sudden rush of pain. After half a minute, she heard her younger sister bounding down the stairs again and she breathed a sigh of relief.

As she was pulling herself up, she heard her mother's voice from behind her door. "Amu-chan, your uniform is in the closet and your undergarments are in the lower drawers. I prepared your schoolbag before you arrived, have you seen it? It's by your study desk so don't forget it, dear. Breakfast is ready so you should come down once you're changed."

"Okay." She called out loud enough for her mother to hear behind the door. Carefully, she sauntered towards her _new_ closet and pulled it open. There were piles of new clothes she had never seen before and the smell of fresh laundry enveloped her immediately. They were all new – and her mother had laundered all of them for her to use.

She brushed the different colored fabrics and smiled as she recognized some of the brands. So she was going to be the black rebel punk girl again, was she? It's not that she disliked it very much, but it felt really nostalgic to imagine herself wearing these clothes.

She glimpsed the innermost part of the closet and found the uniform her mother had referred to. She pulled out the hanger holding it and scrutinized it. It was a more a less a black dress-like uniform with red plaid highlights here and there. The cuffs had a cross like emblem that Amu assumed was the official school emblem.

After a moment of inspecting the uniform, Amu realized why it seemed so familiar to her. It was the uniform older girls she passed on her way to school wore back when she was in middle school. There was a strange feeling that began bubbling inside her as she accepted that fact that she was _supposed_ to be wearing this now.

What was it? Happiness? Excitement? Anticipation? She knew that it was neither of those.

She felt sad – sad at what she had missed and what she had taken for granted a year and a half ago.

She stripped off her clothes and carefully pulled on her uniform. As she pulled on the black stockings that covered up her bruises, she felt thankful that the uniform covered up most of her body. She wouldn't want her parents to see the current state of her body. Amu was determined to keep it a secret from all of them.

When she was fully dressed she descended the stairs carefully and reached the dining table where her parents and Ami were already seated. Her mother ran her eyes over her and she saw the tears her mother suppressed. Whether they were tears of happiness or tears of sadness, she honestly didn't know.

Amu took her old seat at the dining table wordlessly. When she looked in front of her, she found a new eating bowl ready for her this time. Even her eating bowl was new… had they thrown all of her stuff away when she had gone to the Asylum?

This was where it was going to be challenging for her. She had to eat… with a broken wrist. She couldn't give any indication that she was in pain or they would get suspicious. They were wary enough as it is. Amu settled with holding her rice bowl with her broken wrist and eating with her other. She ate slow enough that her wrist wouldn't ache but fast enough that they wouldn't notice she was eating slower than expected.

For the whole duration of the meal, Amu gritted her teeth as she chewed to parry the flashes of pain shooting up her arm. It didn't escape her notice though that nobody spoke at the dining table. Ami refused to look in her general direction and her parents glanced at her frequently as if she was going to explode any moment.

When she had swallowed her final grain of rice, she gladly left the table and readied herself for school.

"Ami, accompany your sister to her school. I'm not sure she remembers where it is." Her mother addressed her younger sister in an imploring tone but Ami frowned emphatically.

"I have to meet up with Yukina today. Amu can find it by herself, she's 16 already, not ten. Since when did the younger sister ever have to take the older sister to school anyway?" she asked sarcastically and eyes flashing with annoyance. She crossed her arms and let out a huff.

"Ami!" her mother scolded her.

Amu looked at her younger sister as she spoke. Her tone was angry and irritated but to Amu, Ami sounded close to tears.

"It's okay, mother. She's right. I won't learn if I won't be able to find it by myself. The school is somewhere along the path of my old elementary school right?" At her use of the formal term for mother, her mother stopped and looked back at her with a hurt expression, to Amu's surprise. Her father replied for her mother.

"Well, yes. But Amu-chan, are you sure? Should I accompany you?" Worry began to seep into his frightened eyes.

"There's no need. Don't worry; I can take care of myself." At her words, her parents eyes darkened and their expressions turned somber. Amu realized a little late what her words had implied. An awkward silence followed to which Ami stood up, glared at her, then exited the room with a bang. When she looked at the sad faces of her parents, she knew she couldn't retract it. She decided to exit quietly instead.

She picked up her bag with her good hand and bade them farewell, "I'm off."

When she was back in the familiar streets of her childhood, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. What was going to happen now, she had no idea. But there was no turning back; she had to face reality one more time – this was her second chance, and Amu had no intention of wasting it anymore. She stood on the porch, took a deep breath and made the first step of her new life.

**-OoO-**

Endnote: I actually intended to add this to my last update but I completely forgot. Now that I'm updating again I suppose I should drop it in now. I hope you like it! It's kind of angsty but I purposely made it that way so I'm sorry if it's not to your tastes. I do hope you leave a review so I can see if it's a plot bunny worth pursuing. :D thanks in advance.

See ya!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: I've had this done since November with ATOTL but here's the new chapter anyway. I hope you like it. :)

**Title**: Jagged Pieces

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: Nope, sorry.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Amu had always been a quiet person. You could say that she favoured silence as her companion on most occasions. After coming from the Asylum though, Amu decided that she had basked in silence a little too long – but despite her disposition to try a more active lifestyle, the inane chatter and attempts at conversation of her classmates did not excite or interest her in the least. But she _was_ trying; she was trying her best to reciprocate their enthusiasm with one of her own, albeit not as genuine as theirs. She offered them the most affectionate smile she could muster and that seemed to please them.

They asked her simple questions – where she lived, where she used to study, whether she had siblings, whether her hair was dyed – all too simple questions. It was strangely calming. Because they were not trying to psychoanalyze her every response and reaction, she could answer with ease. Of course, when they came close to asking a question she was not ready to answer, she would simply divert the flow of the conversation with a question of her own. It was easy and Amu found that she could breathe a little better even with all of them surrounding her.

After a while, her smiles were less forced and she found that she quite liked the sound of their voices echoing in the classroom. They were all pleasant voices, graced with varying emotions she had not heard in such a long time. By lunchtime though, Amu had chosen to explore the school by herself. There were many who offered to show her around, but she declined them politely and explained that she would forget all of what they said right after. They laughed heartily at her reply and obliged her request.

Amu preferred to learn on her own. Learning hands-on suited her tastes more than one-on-one teaching. If she was going to memorize this place in one go, she would have to do it by herself. There was no other way that she would remember. Amu exited the room and slowly wandered down the hallway.

She brushed her fingers against each door knob and read each name plate carefully. She had been past a few doors when her extremely bad luck played its role. The next few seconds after Amu had passed her eighth room were a blur of movement. It began when Amu just happened to glance out the window opposite the room she was facing – only to find a speeding baseball headed her way. It took her a second to process that it was aimed at _her_ and then another second to distinguish the face of a pretty girl passing in front of her.

Instinctively, Amu grabbed the girl by her forearm and pushed her to the floor. She stood in front of the girl and as the sound of glass rang in her ears, she caught the baseball amongst the raining shards with her good hand, and covered her face with her injured hand. The rain of shards lasted for less than as second, shorter than the time it took for the girl she was protecting to react to what was happening.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" The girl gushed out immediately, standing up and forcing Amu to look at her with unusual force. Amu opened her eyes and felt the numerous stinging sensations on her face, hands and legs. As the girl's eyes widened, Amu noticed that she was not left unharmed. There was a scratch on her cheek and Amu remembered the handkerchief she had stuffed into her pocket before she left her house.

People started filing out of their classrooms to see what all the fuss was about. She saw people gaping at her – some wore shocked looks and she saw people rushing with panicked expressions, probably looking for a teacher to report what had happened. With the girl still looking at her wide-eyed, Amu calmly dropped the ball in her hand – it landed with an abnormally loud thud in the deadly silent hallway– pulled out her handkerchief and gently dabbed away the droplet of blood that was oozing from her wound.

"Are you okay?" she mirrored the girl's question with a more reasonable voice than the girl had used. The girl looked at her disbelievingly and Amu saw her jaw clench. "Follow me." Amu did not have a say in the matter, the girl dragged her again with abnormal strength. She chose not to struggle because the combined pains of her previous and current wounds were registering in her brain at last. Amu could only be glad that the girl was not directly gripping her broken wrist with that uncommon level of strength.

Amu was towed along a series of hallways and up a flight of stairs until the girl pulled open a door and drew her inside a pure white room. The color of the room unnerved her immediately, it reminded her too much of her cell in the Asylum. When her eyes settled on the pale gentleman with light blond hair seated at the table, she found him wearing an expression of surprise and worry intermingled.

"Tsukasa. Help her." The girl demanded in a quiet but forceful voice.

The man, who Amu assumed to be a doctor because of his attire, slowly put down the paper and pen he was holding. He stood up promptly and approached the two of them. He took Amu by her other hand, gently pried away the hand of the other girl and led Amu towards the nearest bed on one side of the room.

"Please sit down." He entreated her and Amu had no choice to oblige despite her apprehension. "Fujisaki, tell me what happened. In detail please." The girl, who seemed to be called Fujisaki, drew closer and sat on the edge of a similar bed parallel to the one Amu was seated on. Tsukasa then began moving about the room, picking up things here and there. So far, Amu could see that he was cradling a basin filled with cotton, alcohol, tweezers, a small metal saucer and some bandages. When he sat down and began mending Amu's wounds, only then did the dark-haired girl start speaking.

"I don't really know. I was on my way back to my classroom after going to the restroom and suddenly she," the girl gestured to Amu, "grabbed my arm and shoved me to the floor. Before I knew it, the window broke and glass shards began flying everywhere. Afterwards, I found her standing calmly amidst all the broken glass, holding a baseball which I assume was the source of the mishap. She didn't even act like she was just bombarded with pieces of broken glass. Then when I asked her if she was okay, she just pulled out a handkerchief and began cleaning _my_ wound, as if her wounds were nothing in comparison to mine," she pointed to the cut on her cheek which was now bleeding for real. The doctor handed her a clean piece of cloth and she carelessly wiped away the stream of blood flowing down her cheek.

Tsukasa gave her a reproving look but the girl just shrugged it off. "So I dragged her here so you could fix her up." She finished with a sort of agitated edge to her voice. Tsukasa was silent as he methodically cleaned the cuts on Amu's face and disinfected them with antiseptic. For her larger cuts, he bandaged them up nicely and he applied a sort of cooling paste onto her minor cuts.

He only spoke again once he had finished with her facial and neck wounds. "What is your name?" he addressed Amu and she answered quietly.

"Amu. Hinamori Amu." There was a spark of recognition in his eyes once she had uttered her name and Amu wondered why, when he couldn't possibly know her and given her circumstances, it was highly unlikely that they had met previously.

Tsukasa nodded once, "Hinamori-san. Are you wearing a camisole underneath your uniform?"

It was a bizarre question. Amu was pretty sure her eyebrows had knitted together just then.

"Yes." She answered a tad uncertainly.

"Then would you mind removing your uniform? I cannot clean all your wounds if your clothes are in the way. That goes the same for your stockings. If it's not too much to ask," said Tsukasa with an imploring look.

Amu refrained from speaking for a moment. It _was_ too much to ask, in fact. Because the moment Amu took off her uniform, all her previous injuries would be in plain sight. She was sure the skin underneath her uniform was not a pretty sight. She still felt her bruises' relentless throbbing even until now. She did not want to see them herself, much less if other people would see it.

"Please," the dark-haired girl pleaded with her, looking quite worried and guilty at the same time.

Amu realized that the girl felt responsible for her current wounds. But why would she? Amu wondered. It was _her_ fault; the girl had only been at the wrong place at the wrong time. The ball had been intended for her from the very beginning.

She argued with herself for a minute and decided that it was no use hiding her wounds much longer – her parents would see that she had injured herself either way. She could not hide the cuts on her face. Amu reluctantly stripped off her outer coat, and pulled off her stocking revealing the large purple bruises all over her body. They were worse than she had imagined. The clusters of bruises on her legs and arms looked like purple sunbursts with blue and green edges while her numerous scratches looked like a language of their own. No one would ever think a girl could have acquired such unpleasant injuries.

She heard a gasp from Fujisaki's direction and she saw Tsukasa's eyes widen slightly. He reached out and touched one of her bruises on her arm, to which she flinched almost instantly. Tsukasa withdrew his hand and looked her straight in the eye. "Am I allowed to ask for an explanation?" Amu clenched her fist unknowingly.

Her gaze did not waver as she stared back into Tsukasa's amber eyes. "I'm sorry." Were the only words she uttered in reply.

Tsukasa kept their gazes locked until Fujisaki spoke. "How in the world were you able to go to school with your body in that state?" she asked incredulously, her anger poorly concealed. "Who did that to you?" she asked with outrage evident in her voice.

"Fujisaki," Tsukasa said, her tirade was cut short and she looked at him as if to say, 'Why aren't you saying anything?'

Tsukasa ignored her silent message and replied in an even tone. "Can you make me a few cold compresses? We need to tone down the swelling. I can't treat her properly with her injuries this bad." His request was pure business. Amu was thankful that he had decided not to pry and she also appreciated his professionalism when it came to his work.

Fujisaki, seeming more rational now, stood up immediately and set her eyes on her task. Tsukasa began examining all her bruises and cuts intently. Amu watched quietly as his eyes travelled over each of her wounds critically. "I'm assuming you did not bother to disinfect the cuts, correct?"

Amu only nodded in reply. He gave a small sigh. "Some of you wounds are infected. They'll take longer to heal this way. I'll prescribe you some antibiotics, can you promise me that you will take them?" he asked seriously.

"I'll try."

Tsukasa shook his head emphatically. "That's not good enough. I want you to promise me that you _will_ take the medicine until I say you can stop."

Amu took a deep breath. "I promise to take my medicine diligently until I have permission to stop," she said steadily.

Tsukasa gave a half smile. "Better." He held her good arm and turned it so he could see the underside of her arm. The other side was, by no means, in any better shape. If he was surprised, the only indication he gave was his blinking more slowly than usual.

When Fujisaki had prepared the compress, she had prepared quite a few. The two of them held each compress in one hand against Amu's ugliest bruises. Amu tried her best not to show the pain she was enduring but Tsukasa was much too observant.

"Would you like some painkillers? I believe I have some in my drawer," he offered.

Amu stared at him like he was a messiah. "Please," she managed through gritted teeth.

Tsukasa stood up and strode towards the table he had been seated at when the two of them had arrived. He pulled the drawer open and turned to Amu with an inquisitive look. "Intravenous or pills?"

"Intravenous." Amu replied quickly. Pills would still take time to take effect. She needed the drugs _now_.

Fujisaki eyed Tsukasa suspiciously. "This place is more like a hospital than a school clinic. Who offers underage kids painkillers?"

"You make it sound like bad thing. As for your last statement, you'll be relieved to find that I keep them for instances like these at most. I don't go around offering intravenous injections to just anyone, mind you." Tsukasa explained calmly as he readied the syringe. He came back and, after finding a suitable vein and cleaning it, he introduced the drugs into Amu's system. As the needle slid out from her flesh, Amu felt herself letting out a breath of air.

After a while, the drugs began to kick in and the only remnant of the pain from her injuries was a dull prickling sensation which she could easily ignore. After 20 minutes or so, Tsukasa put the cold compress in his hand back into the basin full of ice and wiped his hands with a dry piece of cloth.

"This one is good to go." He announced as he began to uncoil a roll of bandage. "This will hurt." Tsukasa warned as he was ready to bandage and cover her bruise. Amu felt somewhat dazed, it probably a side effect of the drugs, and it took her a moment to comprehend his words.

"Go ahead," she said a tad breathlessly, feeling a little dizzy.

"See," Fujisaki interjected with a pointed look, "that's what happens when you give drugs to the underage. Did you measure out the proper amount of drug based on her weight, height and age?"

"No." Tsukasa replied unrepentantly, "I purposely used more than necessary." Amu almost fell backward onto the bed before Tsukasa caught her and supported her back.

Amu could not make out the voices of her companions any more. Her eyelids felt like lead and just as they were about to close completely, she made out the faint outline of a hand touching the glass of the window behind Fujisaki.

"To knock her out?" Fujisaki clarified.

"Exactly."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because," Tsukasa said emphatically, "I can tell that she hasn't been sleeping properly. She does not look like it but carrying wounds like these can be draining. I want her to rest, even just for a little while. Also, it will be easier for me to examine her wounds this way."

"Well, you _are_ a doctor – I have no right to criticize."

Tsukasa chuckled and the window to his left slid open abruptly. Both Tsukasa and Fujisaki turned to the window. Fujisaki's face immediately contorted to one of slight annoyance as she turned away from the person who jumped into the room and landed quietly.

"Why hello, Ikuto." Tsukasa greeted the blue-haired young man pleasantly. Tsukasa gently laid down Amu on her back and as Ikuto drew closer, he caught sight of her body.

"Well, isn't she a piece of art?" he asked, his eyebrows rose.

"I'm sorry to say that I cannot accommodate you today. As you can see, I have a patient," said Tsukasa in a reasonable voice, gesturing to Amu with a slight wave of his hand.

"What happened to her?" Ikuto asked. There was no curiosity in his voice, it seemed he was only asking for the sake of asking.

"She won't say."

"Not that I care, actually. I don't need to be accommodated. I just need a bed so I can sleep," said Ikuto carelessly, already making his way to the other available bed in the room. He was not inclined to wait for a sign of approval from Tsukasa.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Fujisaki asked pointedly.

"I could ask you the very same question." Ikuto retorted. He situated himself onto the bed without another word. He was lying on his back, his arms tucked behind his head and he had his eyes closed.

Fujisaki gave a small frown before she stood up and pulled the curtains, making a clear barrier between the two beds.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Shall I escort her home?" Fujisaki asked as she watched Tsukasa dress the final bruise on Amu's abdomen.

"If it's not too much trouble, then yes, please escort her home. Do you think you can pull an act for her sake?" Tsukasa asked, his eyes focused on the work on hand.

"No problem. What wouldn't I do for the person who saved me?" Fujisaki replied cheerfully. She seemed to be in a better mood now that Hinamori Amu had received proper treatment.

"I'm just about done. Could you perhaps, retrieve her bag from her class? I believe she belongs to Class 1-F."

"Sure. I'll pick up my things while I'm on it. Then the two of us will go home together," said Fujisaki happily. She made her way to the door, slipped one more glance at Amu before she left, sliding the door shut behind her.

For the first time in a long while, Amu had a pleasant dream. She dreamed of the day her father had taken her and Ami to the bakery to buy some bread for their wedding anniversary celebration. Amu remembered her rapture as she scanned the rows and shelves full of bread of various shapes and sizes. Ami had clung to her skirt the whole time, scared of getting lost, but Amu was already lost in the heaven that was bread. She remembered being really sad when her father had purchased the bread and shuffled them outside.

It really was a good dream.

Even before Fujisaki had left, Amu had already begun to stir from her sleep. She could scarcely make out snatches of their conversation just then. Something about home and an act – Amu could not really tell. When she had reached a state where she could already discern the threads of the pillow where her head rested, another voice resounded in the small clinic.

"I can't believe you let someone else use my bed," A somewhat familiar voice complained, coming from the other side of the curtain to Amu's right. Amu could make out the silhouette of a boy because of the light that came from where she had seen the window before.

"This is a clinic, Ikuto-kun. Not your private hideaway from your obsessed customers," Tsukasa said pointedly. Amu heard the rustling of papers from another direction; she assumed he had resumed his previous paperwork. Amu wondered how long she had stayed in the clinic as she listened intently to the conversing voices. She was still trying to place the voice of the stranger to her right; Amu did not understand why the stranger's voice sounded familiar. As far as she recalled, she did not know anyone called Ikuto, not now, obviously not then.

"Still, you don't usually have customers at this hour," the voice said lazily.

"Again, I must repeat. This is a clinic. Injuries that occur in school don't follow a schedule." Tsukasa's tone was ever so patient. Amu was beginning to question whether he had ever lost his temper.

"True enough," the voice acknowledged with a deep chuckle.

"Do you have any intention of attending the session today?" Tsukasa asked softly in a voice that was barely audible.

"I can't. I have an appointment." The voice answered without missing a beat.

"You seem to never run out of appointments, Ikuto-kun." Amuy wanted to see what he looked like but she didn't dare interrupt their conversation either. Plus, she was curious as to what _session_ Tsukasa was referring to.

"I'm popular like that."

"Of course you are," Tsukasa readily agreed. "Would you mind freeing your schedule for the session tomorrow then?"

"Why? Is there some special occasion?" Amu could hear the small bit of apprehension in the boy's voice.

"Nothing in particular. It's been a while since you I last attended. The others miss you."

"That was a horrible joke," replied Ikuto flatly. "I suppose there's some truth to it, but a horrible joke, nonetheless." Amu saw the boy's silhouette rise from the bed. She was surprised to find him incredibly tall. She knew he towered over her without having to stand.

"Will you come?" Tsukasa asked again, in a beseeching tone.

"We'll just have to see." Ikuto answered vaguely. Amu recognized a bit of her past self in this stranger – elusive and vague to a point where there was no real answer in the reply.

"Alright." Tsukasa seemed to think his reply was a sign of affirmation, Amu thought otherwise.

"I suppose it's about time I left. You'll be leaving soon too, right? I'm assuming that you're cancelling the session today because one of your patients is busy taking care of a certain pink-lamb."

Amu had an uncanny feeling that the boy was referring to her. She did not understand completely what the two of them were talking about. Sessions? And was the _patient_ he was referring to, Fujisaki?

Amu heard footsteps moving away from her and she heard the window swing open with a small creak.

"Ikuto-kun."

"Yeah?"

"Do be careful of what you're doing," said Tsukasa seriously.

"Since when did you decide to start playing Daddy?" Ikuto shot back before she heard a small sound, like a rustling of leaves, and then nothing once more. Amu cautiously extricated herself from the bed, feeling a tad sore where the bandages held on tightly like snakes coiled around her whole body. She was mostly careful of her wrist which had been the cause of some pain because she had accidentally slept on it.

She moved the curtain at the edge of the bed aside and Tsukasa turned to her with a beaming smile. "You're awake. Did you have a good rest?"

"Yes," Amu answered, "Where is Fujisaki-san?"

"Ah. Fujisaki went to get your things. She's willing to accompany you home today."

"There's no need for her to accompany me home." She replied almost immediately. So that was what they had been talking about a while ago. Then that meant Fujisaki _was_ the 'patient' the boy called Ikuto referred to.

"Of course there is. You need a good alibi, don't you? I'm assuming you didn't want them to know about your preceding injuries so you kept it from them. If you don't want to lie to them directly, you can just stretch the truth."

Amu looked at Tsukasa in surprise. "I did not think you would be the type to encourage students to lie to their parents."

"It wasn't an encouragement, it was a suggestion. It's still up to you whether or not to go through with it," He answered matter-of-factly.

Amu saw a flash of black behind the door before it clattered open, revealing a beautiful Fujisaki carrying two bags easily with one hand. Amu would have thought such frail looking girl would have had trouble carrying two bags on her own. Fujisaki entered the room with a sort of twist to her step, that Amu did not understand. She could tell that Fujisaki was in a much lighter mood now. Amu was right that she looked much better wearing a smile.

"You're awake, Hinamori-san!" she exclaimed gleefully, smiling warmly. She pushed aside the curtains that were covering her bed and took a seat beside Amu, dropping the bags she held onto the floor.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. Amu could not help noticing the hint of worry in her voice.

"Much better," Amu answered confidently. Fujisaki smiled all the more at her reply. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

"That's wonderful," she said in very pleased voice. Amu took the opportunity to scrutinize her more critically.

She realized that she had not done justice to Fujisaki's beauty the first time. Fujisaki had magnificent straight black hair and a delicately striking face, with pink lips and a nice nose. Amu wondered why she had only seen her as a _pretty_ girl up till a few moments ago when she was in fact, extremely attractive.

Fujisaki opened her eyes suddenly and caught Amu staring at her face. "Is something the matter?"

Amu shifted her gaze and shook her head once, "No. It's nothing. I was lost in my own thoughts."

"Okay. Shall we be on our way then?"

"On our way?" Amu asked, forgetting about her conversation with Tsukasa.

"To your house, silly. I'm escorting you to your house. Just to make sure that you don't collapse on your way back."

"I don't–" Amu caught herself just as she was about to reply that she did not need company when Tsukasa gave her an even look as if to say, 'Are you sure?'

"You don't –?" Fujisaki pressed, curiously.

There was nothing to it, Amu thought. She could not tell her parents that her past was taking revenge on her, nor did she have any intention to convey the truth ever. Her parents only had an inkling of what had happened to her almost a year and a half ago; Amu had no intention of giving a full account of her past life.

This once, Amu promised, she would only lie to her parents this once.

"I don't think I'll collapse on my way back home." Amu substituted her previous words.

"But it would make me worry less if I see that you got home safely. You don't want to deprive me of sleep do you?"

That made Amu laugh softly, "No, of course not." She replied with a small smile. Fujisaki seemed surprised at her reply, so much that she was speechless for a half a minute.

"Well," she announced, "Let's get going then. Do you have a curfew?" Fujisaki stood up and Amu followed suit, albeit more carefully. She readjusted her uniform, covering up most of her bandages.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"I wish I could treat you to some food, but I'm sure you'd rather rest at home," said Fujisaki reasonably as she picked up their bags once more and made her way to the door.

"Hinamori-san. Drop by tomorrow morning. I'll replace your bandages. Don't worry, I'm always here early."

"Okay."

Amu thought about one word as she tottered after Fujisaki.

_Home._

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Amu put in her best efforts not to stumble as she and Fujisaki made their way to her house. They had only just passed the school gate when Amu had almost tripped for the second time, but thanks to Fujisaki's fast reflexes, she was saved from another humiliating stumble.

People had stared at her the moment she had exited the clinic. They stared, unashamedly, at her bandages. Amu felt the slightest bit uncomfortable under their scrutiny. It's not as if she wasn't used to being watched 24-7 – but having all of them look at you when you can clearly see they were looking was somewhat nettling. A camera, you could stare back directly, but with so many eyes, you just didn't know where to look in particular.

When they were out of range of the prying eyes of her schoolmates, Amu was able to breathe a little easier. "You should hear the rumors spreading about the incident." Fujisaki broke the silence. "Some are saying you broke the window yourself."

"How unlikely." Amu replied dryly and Fujisaki nodded. "They actually believe that?"

"Rumors can be as unbelievable as the sudden appearance of a God. And speaking of gods, other people are making you out to be some sort of savior now – my savior, to be exact."

Amu frowned and cocked her head to one side. "I just caught a ball," She answered. "I don't think that merits me the title of a savior. It's a little too much."

"I consider you my savior too, you know," said Fujisaki cheerfully, offering a radiant smile. "My reckless and enigmatic, savior."

"Please don't. I'm not that incredible." Amu entreated.

"But you _are_," Fujisaki stressed, "I've never seen any girl as tough as you." She continued in a sort of inquisitive tone.

"Well, I – " Amu paused when she caught sight of a familiar blonde head among a crowd of middle schoolers. She knew she had not been mistaken when her sister's face was revealed moments later after the crowd parted slowly as they made their way home. Amu found herself riveted at the sight of her sister just then.

She had never seen her sister look so jubilant. Her sister was laughing and smiling widely. She could hear her laughter from where she and Fujisaki stood and Amu could not help feeling that her laughter sounded foreign to her. She had never heard her sister laugh so spiritedly. She felt relief surge through her.

Without really knowing why, Amu found herself smiling. _This_ was how she had wanted Ami to turn out, not the scowling girl who had welcomed her grudgingly yesterday. She was glad that she wasn't as unhappy as Amu supposed her to be. She was so focused on Ami that she had completely forgotten Fujisaki's presence.

She only remembered when Fujisaki abruptly pulled her towards her sister. She was too shocked to protest and before she could react, Ami had already spotted her. As soon as recognition dawned on Ami, her smile vanished and she pursed her lips as Fujisaki continued to pull Amu towards her. Amu did not fail to notice the half second where surprise had crept into her eyes before Ami glared at her discreetly.

She kept her gaze on the two of them, and Ami's friends, noticing the direction of Ami's gaze began to look at the two of them too. Amu felt wholly uncomfortable at the sudden attention after her experience at her own school moments ago.

"Hey Ami, why does the girl in bandages look a lot like you?" one of her female companions asked just as Fujisaki stopped and pushed Amu towards her sister. Amu held herself back and tried to apologize silently to her sister.

"She's… my older sister." Ami replied shortly.

"That explains it!" one boy exclaimed with a laugh.

"You never told us you had an older sister." The girl who had asked the question pointed out.

Ami seemed troubled and Amu decided to cut in for her sister's sake. She wasn't really hurt that Ami had not thought of mentioning her existence. Amu understood – she would have done the same thing if Ami had done what she had done.

"My name is Hinamori Amu. It's nice to meet all of you. I've been away from home for quite a while. Ami must not have wanted to seem like a liar if you never caught sight of me. Thank you for taking care of her during my absence." Amu's tone held that elder sister quality that you just could not doubt. She smiled at them pleasantly and they smiled back a bit sheepishly. From the corner of her eye, Amu saw Ami shoot daggers at her from behind her classmates.

Her friends began to cluster around her. "Those look like they hurt." One boy said with a light whistle.

"There was an accident at school," Amu explained patiently but before she could further elucidate Fujisaki chose to speak.

"She saved me from being showered by glass shards," Fujisaki announced proudly. Ami's friends' eyes widened in surprise. They begged to hear the whole story and while Fujisaki began a clear relation of the events, Ami approached her sister.

"What are you doing here?" she asked irritably, not daring to look at Amu directly.

"I was on my way home. I didn't come closer on purpose. Fujisaki-san just acted on her own."

"And those bandages?"

"I think it would be more helpful if you listened to Fuji –" she began to say when Ami cut her off. "I'm asking _you_. Did you really save her from some glass shards?"

"Save is a little too much. I just prevented her from being severely wounded." Amu replied evenly."

"How unexpected for you to just help someone you've never met," said Ami a tad venomously. Amu did not understand why her sister sounded so upset. When she glanced at Ami, she found her sister pointedly looking away from her – as if she didn't want Amu to see her expression. Amu decided it would suit Ami better if she left and went on ahead home.

"Ami," she said loud enough for everyone to hear, "I'll be going ahead. Mom and Dad will want a lengthy explanation. I trust you'll be back soon, don't stay out too late." She advised as Ami stared back coldly.

"Okay." She answered stonily, knowing what Amu was doing, which was leaving her in peace.

"We're not going home together?" Fujisaki asked and Amu shook her head.

"I remember Mom leaving her some errands to do after school. We'll go on ahead." Amu turned back to Amu's friends and smiled once more. "It was nice meeting you. I hope you can come over to our house some time. We can talk more then." She added softly and they all grinned goofily.

"Sure!"

Amu and Fujisaki waved goodbye and were back on their way.

Ami's friends turned to her and began to gush about her sister.

"She seemed so mature!"

"She's in high school right? I recognized their uniform."

"I love the color of her hair. It looks so natural, it couldn't be dyed."

"Your sister is so nice, Ami. I'm jealous! My sister's so stuck-up I can't believe we're related."

"And she invited us to your house!"

"She's pretty too!"

They all turned to Ami for affirmation and Ami replied quietly, "Yes. Yes, she is." Looking a tad desolate as she answered them – which was of course left unnoticed by her bickering friends. Ami was looking at the direction where her sister had headed. Her sister had long disappeared, but the twinge of jealousy in her chest had not.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Ami and Fujisaki stood just outside Amu's gate, Fujisaki looking at her house in wonder and Amu watching her reaction intently.

"It's not a very extravagant house, I'm afraid." Amu apologized, assuming that Fujisaki was mostly likely raised in a much bigger house. She looked and acted the part of a child from a prestigious family, from the way she dressed to her countenance and manner of interacting with people.

"I'm not bothered by the size at all." Fujisaki replied reassuringly, "It's just, it seems so unexpected that you would live in such a typical household. I was assuming that you were raised to be as you are now, but where did you get your spine if not from your own household?" Fujisaki asked with interest.

Amu answered her question silently, 'I got it from living a lie.'

Amu chose not to answer Fujisaki's question vocally and instead changed the subject, "I just remembered. We haven't properly been introduced."

Fujisaki's eyes widened. "Oh yes! I can't believe we skipped such an important step!" she exclaimed before she straightened herself and cleared her throat.

"Hello. My name is Fujisaki Nadeshiko. You are?"

"Hinamori Amu." Amu followed with a straight face, holding back a bit of laughter.

"Well, Hinamori-san. It's a great pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Nadeshiko." Her companion's name had slipped off her tongue so naturally that Amu failed to notice her blunder until she saw Nadeshiko's expression.

"I'm sorry, Fujisaki-san. I didn't mean –" she was about to apologize when Nadeshiko laughed with genuine mirth.

"By all means, please call me Nadeshiko," she said quite seriously and Amu decided to oblige her.

"Nadeshiko."

"You even decided not to use honorifics." She added with surprise and just when Amu was about to repeat her name with an honorific, she continued and said, "I love it!"

"Would it be alright to just call you Amu?" she asked excitedly.

Amu had become accustomed to the lack of honorifics in her environment and Nadeshiko's offer could not have been any more in her favour.

"Of course." She answered readily.

"Amu," Nadeshiko spoke her name slowly, as if she was feeling the taste on her name on her mouth. "I like your name. It's so easy to speak." She commented with a smile.

"I like your name too. It's a really pretty name."

Nadeshiko beamed at her. "Thanks!"

"Amu-chan?" Amu heard her mother's voice from her house and when she and Nadeshiko turned to the front door, her mother was standing on the doorstep looking down at them with a surprised expression.

"Kaa-san," Amu acknowledged, making sure to use a more familiar way of addressing her mother this time. "I'm home."

"What happened?" her mother asked, noticing Amu's bandages. "Come inside, the two of you and tell me what happened." There was obvious worry in her voice but Amu was pretty sure her mother was worried about what Amu had _done_, not what had happened to her.

Her mother was on her way to open the gate when Nadeshiko spoke.

"Ma'am," Nadeshiko called her mother's attention as she was unlocking the gate. Her mother raised her eyes with a questioning look on her face. "You have a very amazing daughter." She spoke directly, without any hint of doubt whatsoever in her voice.

Her mother stared at Nadeshiko for half a minute, before she nodded, opened the gate and led the two of them inside the house.

In the quiet kitchen of the Hinamori household, Nadeshiko began to retell the events of today as she did with Ami's classmates just moments before but this time, she spoke with undisguised gratefulness towards Amu. Amu watched as her mother's expression changed from quiet apprehension to understanding and finally to an expression of deep appreciation.

Amu felt that she did not deserve the awed look her mother had given her once Nadeshiko had finished retelling the story. A liar need not be emulated nor praised. Amu was a liar to that core, she tried to be honest but after living the life she lived, she did not think the truth could be so easily found anymore.

Her mother had reached out and touched her hand. It was only the second instance of physical contact they shared after the awkward hug during her arrival last night. This was less forced and warmer than the hug last night. More like the comforting touch of a mother, less like the stranger of last night.

Her mother's eyes shone and Nadeshiko smiled with satisfaction. Amu tried her best to act like she was proud of what she had done – but she was not. Because it had been her fault after all. She was only taking responsibility but the two of them thought she had saved Nadeshiko out of the goodness of her heart. They could not be any more wrong. She was just keeping another person from taking the brunt of her repentance. Amu did not want anyone interfering.

But she smiled, as warmly as she could manage despite her internal struggle.

After Amu and her mother had seen Nadeshiko off she turned to Amu and said, "Is there anything you need? You're not in pain are you? What did the doctor say?"

"I'm fine, Mom." At her use of her old way of calling her, her mom gave an affectionate smile.

_I'm fine now. Compared to before, I'm in a much better place_.

Her mother wrapped her arms around Amu abruptly and she felt her breaths ruffling her hair. Amu kept herself steady and waited for her mother to speak. "We've missed you. Not just me, but Dad and Ami, too even if she doesn't act like it."

Without really thinking, a reply escaped her lips. "I missed you, too."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

**Endnote**: Well, there you have it. I hope the update made you guys happy!:)


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